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Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Favourite Reads of 2008 - A Librarians' Picks, Part Six. . .

Today we have a fun list focusing on kids titles, courtesy of the vampire loving Sharpe family in Chatham. Tania is a librarian in the Chatham-Kent Public Library system and her husband Stan is a high school librarian in Southwestern Ontario. Recommendations also come from 13 year old Simon and ten year old Stewart. Here are their favourite reads of 2008:

All Shook Up by Shelley Pearsall13 year old Josh has to spend time with his father, he’s not particularly happy about it and becomes less so when he is greeted at the airport by his father, dressed as an Elvis impersonator. A terrific novel for young teen and tween boys.

The Book Thief by Marc ZusakStan recommends this title because it is set in Nazi Germany, there are several storylines and because it gives teenagers perspective on the war from the German side.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John BoyneA historical fiction story set in Poland during the Second World War. An unusual twist to this story as it is told from the perspective of a child who doesn’t understand what is happening in the world around him. Highly recommend by both Stan and Simon.

The Juvie Three by Gordon KormanA recommendation from Simon. According to him there is lots of action and interesting details about gangs and crime.

Marked by P.C. CastFor those who have finished the Twilight series and are searching for another vampire storyline. This is a little edgier and perhaps a tad more realistic than the Stephanie Myers series. Recommended for older teens looking for more paranormal stories.

Sir Fartsalot Hunts a Booger by Kevin BolgerStewart highly recommends this story. It has lots of humour with very funny characters. The cover is very neat with a three D effect. Recommended for parents who have children who are less than enthusiastic readers.

The Summoning: Book 1 Darkest Powers Series by Kelley ArmstrongKelley Armstrong is a Southern Ontario writer who has just branched into young adult books. If you enjoy stories with paranormal storylines this is highly recommended.

Sweet Far Thing: Book 3 by Libba BrayThis is the concluding book in the series. Here we learn what will become of Gemma Doyle her friends and the Order.

The Twilight Series by Stephenie MeyerDo I really need to say anything other than I love Vampire and paranormal stories. A very romantic story with exciting twists and turns.

Word Nerd by Susin NielsenAs a self professed scrabble addict I couldn’t resist the storyline! Ambrose is an odd duck who is home schooled by his mother Irene. In the evenings, with the help of the landlord's son, he travels to a weekly Scrabble Club. It is at this club that Ambrose is accepted for who and what he is.

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We’re a group of Canadian publishers’ reps - all passionate readers - who have been giving book talk presentations of our favourite reads to librarians and school teachers. We present our picks for the best upcoming books for kids, teens and adults in a variety of genres, and introduce readers and educators to forgotten gems and new writers that they may have missed. In 2009 we received the Ontario Public Library Association’s Leadership in Adult Readers’ Advisory Award.

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Top 100 Elementary Books for K-8: Vol 3

This covers books published between August 2009 and September 2010
E-mail Saffron at saffronb@katewalker.com for a copy